Drawing roll clearer



April 17, 1956 B. w. GOSSETT 2,741,803

DRAWING ROLL CLEARER Filed March 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l BRYANT W. Gosssrr, INVENTOR- ivww ATTORNEYS April 17, 1956 B. w. GOSSETT 2,741,803

DRAWING ROLL CLEARER Filed March 24, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BRYANT V14 Gosssrr;

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS April 17, 1956 B. w. GOSSETT 2,741,803

DRAWING ROLL CLEARER Filed March 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR, BRYANT W 6 055577 BY {2471* M ATTORNEYS ijinited States Patent 2,741,803 DRAWING RoLL CLEARER Bryant W. Gossett, Gastonia, N. C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Deering Millikan Research Corporation, near Pendleton, S. C., a corporation of Delaware Application March 24, 1952, Serial No. 278,193

4 Claims. (Cl. 19-139) This invention relates to apparatus for removing accumulations of lint, loose fibers and the like from textile rolls of the type associated with drawing frames, spinning frames and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a clearing mechanism for the top rolls of drawing frames and the like for removing accumulations of lint, loose fibers and the like therefrom, the clearing mechanism being adapted to move back and forth relative to and upon the top rolls by means driven by the machine. The clearing mechanism comprises a pair of transversely spaced elongated clearing members for each section of rolls, each of which is pivoted at opposite ends thereof intermediatethe front and rear edges thereof on common arms which are, in turn, pivoted intermediate their ends to a means for effecting reciprocatory forward and rearward movement thereto. The clearing members are of such dimensions that each of the members spans and engages only two adjacent rolls at a time, thus insuring that all of the rolls will be engaged by one or the other, or both, of the clearing members upon each reciprocation of the clearing mechanism.

Heretofore, top roll clearers have been so constructed as to always move in the same horizontal plane. Frequently, one roll will have worn more than another roll and will be of smaller diameter. Also, the thickness of the sliver pressing between the top and bottom rolls may vary to cause one roll to be positioned at a lower elevation than the other rolls. In such instances, the conventional clearers will pass above the smaller or lower roll or rolls and will not properly clean the same thus permitting fibers from the rolls to accumulate in the sliver as thick spots and the like. It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide a clearer for drawing rolls and the like which is pivotally mounted and is reciprocated over the rolls so that the clearer may tilt as required and contact all of the rolls even though the rolls may vary in diameter. 7

It is another object of this invention to provide a top roll clearer having at least two clearer members pivotally mounted on a single suspension means and being reciprocable back and forth over the rolls in contact therewith.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view showing a section of the drawing rolls associated with a fragmentary portion of a drawing frame, illustrating parts of the conventional means for driving the drawing rolls and, further, illustrating the improved clearer and the connections between the same and the conventional driving mechanism of the drawing frame for effecting reciprocatory movement to the improved clearing mechanism;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the drawing frame, with parts in section, looking at the lower side of 2 Figure 1 with portions of the gear housing broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 1 and showing the gears partially in broken lines;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the drawing frame, taken substantially along the line 44 in Figure 1, and showing the clearing mechanism in an intermediate position; v

Figure 5 is a schematic view of the clearing mechanism similar to Figure 4 but showing the clearing mechanism in a forward position;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the clearing mechanism in a rearward position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly designates the frame of a drawing frame or the like which includes a side frame member 11 which supports one end of a horizontal frame member 12, the

other end of the frame member 12 also being supported by a suitable frame member not shown. The horizontal frame member 12 supports a plurality of spaced bearing stands 13, on the upper surfaces of the front portions of which are suitably secured a plurality of bearing members or blocks 14 for rotatably supporting a plurality of bottom drawing rolls 15, there being five of the bottom drawing rolls in each section on this particular type of machine.

Resting upon each of the bottom rolls 15 is a corresponding top roll, the top rolls being indicated at 21 to 25, inclusive. As is well known, opposite ends of the bottom rolls 15 are journaled in suitable sleeves 26 which are flattened on their sides to fit into the usual slots 27 in the bearing blocks 14. The top rolls 21 to are also journaled in sleeves 28 similar to the sleeves 26. As is well known, the bottom rolls 15 are usually fluted and the top rolls are usually provided with a rubber, leather or cork covering. Also, suitable pressure applying means are usually applied to the top rolls to hold them in contact with the fluted bottom rolls 15. This pressure applying means is not shown, but is usually hooked into the peripheral grooves 29 in the sleeves 28.

The bottom rolls 15 are driven by conventional means so the speed of the bottom rolls 15 increases from the rearmost to the foremost of the bottom rolls. This conventional driving means for the bottom rolls 15, includes a shaft 30 which is an extension of the front bottom roll 15 and the outer end of which is supported for rotation on the side frame member 11. The shaft 30 extends through a conventional gear box 32, shown broken away in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and has a driving pulley 33 thereon and an idler pulley 34 rotatably mounted thereon, there being suitable shifting means, not shown, for shifting a driven belt 35 between the pulleys 33 and 34 to drive the shaft 30 and the rolls 15. The shaft 30 has a conventional gear 36 fixed thereon which meshes with one of a train of gears 37 for imparting rotation to the usual calender rolls, not shown, in a manner well known to those familiar with the art.

A second gear 40 is also fixed on the shaft 30 and meshes with a relatively larger gear 41 which is fixed on one end of a stub shaft 42 suitably supported at one end thereof for rotation in the side wall 32a of the gear housing 32. The gear 41 has a smaller gear 43 integral there with or fixed thereto which meshes with a gear 44 fixed on a second stub shaft 45 disposed beneath the gear 41 in Figure 2. One end of the stub shaft 45 is rotatably mounted in the side wall 32b of the gear housing 32.

The stub shaft 42 also has a gear 45 fixed thereon which meshes with a conventional gear 47 fixed on a shaft 48 which extends from the rearmost of the bottom rolls 15 to thus cause the rearmost of the bottom rolls 15 to rotate at a slower speed than the foremost of the bottom rolls "It is well known that other gearing is usually provided at the opposite end of the machine for driving the intermediate of the bottom rolls 15 at progressively increasing speeds from the rearmost of the intermediate bottom rolls to the foremost of the intermediate bottom rolls, but this gearing has beenomitted from the drawings since it is conventional and is not necessary to the operation of the present invention.

All of the gears heretofore described'are conventional, with the exception of gear 44 and the shaft as on which it is mounted, the conventional gears having been described so. as to clearly understand. the manner in which the improved clearing mechanism, to be presently described, is driven. The drawing frame also has a conventional stop-motion operating shaft '51 which is supported for oscillation in rearwardly extending portions 13:: integral with the roll stands 13. These rearwardly extending portions 13a of the roll stands 13 also support a suitable cover 52 over which the usual slivers, not shown, are adapted to pass forwardly to the rearrnost of the bottom rolls 15 and successively between the bottom rolls and the top rolls and then forwardly from between the foremost bottom roll 15 and the top roll 21 to a suitable take-up means, such as the aforementioned calender rolls.

In this particular type of machine the stop-motion operating shaft 51 is caused to oscillate by conventional means including a crank arm 53 fixed on one end of the shaft 51 and extending upwardly therefrom in Figure 2. The upper end of the crank arm 53 is pivotally connected to the rear end of a link 54 which extends through a suitable opening 55 in the rear wall 320 of the gear housing 32 and thence to the gear 41, the link 54 being pivotally connected to one side of the gear 41 as at 56. It is thus seen that rotation of the gear 41 will cause the shaft 51 to oscillate continuously throughout the operation of the machine.

The parts heretofore described, except those otherwise specified are conventional parts of a drawing frame or.

the like and it is with these parts the present invention is adapted to be associated.

Now, as the slivers or rovings pass forwardly between the top and bottom rolls, it often happens that lint and the like is picked up by the top rolls and collected thereon in bunches which later are transferred back into the slivers or rovings passing between the top and bottom rolls. Many attempts have been made to provide a cleaning mechanism for properly cleaning these top rolls to prevent the bunches of loose lint and fibers from being carried around by the top rolls and being deposited into the rovings or slivers passing between the top and bottom rolls. However, due to slight variations in the density of the slivers or roving passing forwardly between the top and bottom rolls, the uppermost surface'of one or more of the top rolls might be disposed at a lower elevation than the adjacent top rolls with the result that the clearer would not engage any of the lower than normal top rolls and all of the rolls would not be uniformly cleared of lint or other foreign matter. Some of the top rolls may be worn so as to be of smaller diameter than the others and conventional clearers would miss these rolls and permit fibers to build up thereon which fibers would later fall into the'slivers or rovings making uneven places therein.

In order to overcome this defect, I have provided a drawing roll clearing mechanism designated broadly at 66 and which comprises a pair of independently pivoted ciearing members or clearer boards 61 and 62 which are oblong in cross-section and of such length as to cover or rest upon the entire length of the corresponding rubber or leather covered portions of the top rolls 21 to 25. Opposite ends of the clearer boards or clearer members 61 and 62 are pivotally connected, preferably at their centers ofgravity, as at '63 and 64, respectively, on the rear and front ends of transverse bars 65' and 66. 7

is oscillatably mounted in bearing stands 75 and 76 suitably secured to the upper surface of the cover member 52 or to the rear'portions13a of the roll stands 13.

The left-hand end of the rod or shaft 74 in Figure 1 has the upper end of a crank arm 77 fixed thereon which extends downwardly in Figure 4 and is pivotally connected to the front end of a link 80. The rear end of the link 80 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a crank arm 81 which extends downwardly and has a tubular portion or sleeve 82 integral therewith, or suitably secured thereto, which is oscillatably mounted on the stop motion operating shaft51 heretofore described,

The tubular portion or sleeve 82 is prevented from hava ing endwise movement on the shaft 51 by suitable collars 83 fixed on the shaft 51. The tubular member 82 also has a crank arm 84 integral therewith or suitably secured thereto which extends upwardly and has the rear end of a link 86 pivotally connected thereto. This link 86 extends forwardly through a suitable opening 87 in the rear wall 32.; of the gear housing 32 (Figure 3) and the front end thereof is pivotally connected, as at 99, to a disk 91 fixed to rotate with the gear 44. A crank arm may be substituted for the disk 91, if desired.

It is thus seen that, upon rotation being imparted to the gear 44 and the disk 91, this causes the clearer boards 61' and 62 to reciprocate forwardly and rearwardly from the position shown in Figure 5 to that of Figure 6 and vice versa. The clearer boards or members 61 and 62 are each covered with a suitable material 92, which may be fibrous such as felt, cloth or the like, but which is preferably leather or plastic. The material 92 is suitably secured to the clearer boards 61 and 62 in any desired manner. Due to the improved action of theclearers, it is not necessary to use a fibrous cover and a smooth cover such as leather or plastic is very satisfactory and never needs to be cleaned due to the fact that the improved clearers pull the loose fibers from the top rolls and the fibers go back into the sliver in microscopic form and do not accumulate on the clearers.

Now, it will be noted that the front and rear edges of each of the clearer boards 61 and 62 are rounded or sub stantially semi-circular in cross-section and the fiat bottom surfaces of the boards 61 or 62, or the Hat bottom formed by the covering 92 thereon, are of such width that the material 92.011 each of the clearer boards 6i and 62 engages only two adjacent rolls'simultaneously. upon one roll being slightly lower than the next adjacent roll, the corresponding clearer boards 61 and 62 may pivot about their respective axes to insure that all ofthe top rolls 21 through 25 are engaged by the material 92 on the clearer boards'61 and 62 in the course of each reciprocation thereof.

In order to limit movement of the clearer boards 63 and 62 about their respective axes, each of the clearer boards has a pair of closely spaced stop members 93 and 9 projecting from at least one end thereof astride the corresponding transverse bar or 66 on which they are pivotally supported. In this instance, the stop members 93 and 94 are shown in the form of pins which straddle both of the transverse bars 65 and 66 (Figures 1 and 4). 1 These stop members 93 and 94 are desirable because they will prevent the rear end of the clearer board 61 from moving downwardly beyond a predetermined point upon the clearer boards 61 and 62 being moved to the position shown in Figure 6 or rearwardly beyond the position shown in Figure 6 and this is also trueof the front portion of the front clearer board 62 in the event the forward stroke ofthe link is such as to move the Thus,

clearer board 62 forwardly to where the pivot point 64 thereof is disposed forwardly of the front top roll 21.

The stop members 93 and 94 of each of the clearer boards or members 61 and 62 also enable an operator to pivot the clearing mechanism 68 upwardly and rearwardly about the shaft 7% for replacing the top rolls or for any other purpose, as desired.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved drawing roll clearer comprising a pair of clearer boards which are oblong in cross-section and the lower surface of each of which is such trat it will engage only two of the drawing rolls simultaneously thereby insuring that all of the drawing rolls are successively engaged by the clearer boards 61 and 62 as reciprocatory forward and rearward movement is imparted to the cl arer boards. Since the clearer boards are pivotally connected to the means for effecting reciprocatory movement thereto, each of the clearer boards may rock about its longitudinal pivot to thereby insure that each of the clearer boards will engage both of the drawing rolls immediately therebelow although the drawing rolls may be disposed at slightly different levels.

It is evident that, in the case of a drawing frame or the like having a lesser number of top rolls than that shown in the drawing, a single clearer board may be employed which is pivotally supported about its longitudinal center and may be moved forwardly and rearwardiy in substantially the manner described. In the latter instance, it is evident that the clearer board should still be of such width as to only engage two of the rolls simultaneously and the stroke thereof should be such that the clearer board, or the felt material thereon, would engage the upper surfaces of all of the rolls in the course of each reciprocation thereof. For example, a single pivoted clearer made according to the present invention could be used with two or three top rolls while two clearers would be used with four or five rolls.

By the use of leather or plastic or other types of long wearing covering n aterial, the clearers have much longer life and the clearer boards 61 and 62 may be turned over when one side becomes worn.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. in a drawing frame and the like having rotatable top and bottom rolls, a clearing mechanism including a pair of spaced driven reciprocable arms disposed above the top rolls and being reciprocable transversely of the top rolls; the combination of a pair of fiat-bottomed substantially parallel clearer boards adapted to rest upon the corresponding top rolls, the flat lower surface of each of the clearer boards being such that each clearer board engages only two of the rolls simultaneously, a bar pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the free end of each reciprocable arm, means pivotally connecting the clearer boards to opposite end portions of said bars so as to permit pivotal movement of the clearer boards about their respective longitudinal axes, and each clearer board having a pair of vertically spaced stop members on at least one end thereof extending outwardly astride and in spaced relation to the corresponding bar whereby, upon reciprocation of said reciprocable arms, the clearer boards reciprocate therewith while resting upon the corresponding rolls to clear lint and the like therefrom and the stop members serve to limit movement of the clearer boards about their respective axes.

2. In a drawing frame and the like having top and bottom rolls and a clearing mechanism including a pair of spaced driven reciprocable arms disposed above the top rolls and being reciprocable transversely of the top rolls; the combination of at least two substantially parallel clearer boards adapted to rest upon the corresponding top rolls and being rounded at the front and rear edges thereof, the fiat lower surface of each of the clearer boards being such that each clearer board engages only two of the rolls simultaneously, a bar pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the free end of each reciprocable arm, means pivotally connecting the clearer boards at treir respective longitudinal axes to opposite end portions of said bars, a pair of vertically spaced stop members extending outwardly from at least one end of each clearer board, and said stop members loosely straddling the corresponding bar whereby, upon reciprocation of said reciprocable arms, the clearer boards reciprocate therewith while resting upon the corresponding rolls to clear lint and the like therefrom and the stop members serve to limit movement of the clearer boards about their respective axes.

3. In a drawing frame or the like having a horizontal row of more than two spaced substantially parallel drawing rolls thereon and a clearing mechanism including a pair of spaced forwardly and rearwardly reciprocable arms; the combination of at least one clearer board extending in parallel relation to the rolls and being adapted to rest upon the rolls, said clearer board being oblong in cross-section and being of such width as to engage only two of the rolls simultaneously, a bar pivotally connected to each of said reciprocable arms, the clearer board being pivotally connected at opposite ends of its longitudinal center to said bars at points off-set relative to the points at which the bars are pivotally connected to said reciprocable arms, and a pair of stop members projecting from at least one end of said clearer board and loosely straddling the corresponding bar to thereby limit movement of the clearer board about its axis as the clearer board is reciprocated upon all of said rolls by said reciprocable arms.

4. In a drawing frame having a horizontal row of more than two, spaced, substantially parallel and rotatable drawing rolls, a clearer mechanism including a pair of spaced driven arms disposed above said rolls and being rcciprocable transversely thereof; the combination of a pair of rectangular, substantially parallel clearer boards resting upon said rolls, said clearer boards having, in each instance, a pair of flat sides covered with a material such that they are provided with a pair of surfaces suitable for frictionally engaging said rolls to remove accumulated lint therefrom, said fiat surfaces being of such width that each of said clearer boards engages only two of the rolls simultaneously, a bar pivotally connected intermediate its end to the free end of each reciprocable arm, means pivotally connecting the clearer boards to opposite end portions of said bars so as to permit pivotable movement of the clearer boards about their longitudinal axes, whereby when the surface of each of said boards in contact with said rolls becomes worn, the board can be pivoted through to provide another roll engaging surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,727,512 Mallott Sept. 10, 1929 1,933,504 Martin Oct. 31, 1933 2,306,848 Toenniessen Dec. 29, 1942 2,509,982 Miller May 30, 1950 2,593,478 Newton Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,665 Great Britain of 1895 287,993 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1928 

